Earthdivers vol 1 by stephen graham jones

Vol 1: Kill Columbus, illustrated by Davide Gianfelice,  colored by Joana LaFuente
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In the year 2112, the Earth has been destroyed by wars, pollution, and more. Portions of the population have already taken to the skies in search of a new planet. But in the desert of Arizona, a group of Native Americans find a cave that sends them back in time. They hatch a plan to save the world and protect their ancestors, but it involves killing Christopher Columbus before he discovers America. The group chooses Tad, who is a linguist and could potentially pass as sailor, to jump back and try to find a way onto Columbus' ship, but this means leaving behind his family in the future and relying on his knowledge of history to help him navigate through the voyage of Columbus. 

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This thoroughly fascinating, bloody book takes a different stance on time travel than normal, where the point is to go and disrupt past events, rather than be a witness. Jones is exploring more along the lines of the time-travel conversations that ultimately end with going back in time to kill Hitler, only Jones' version ends with killing Columbus and stopping a giant move of colonization. I was a little confused by some of what was happening in 2112, but a re-read might make those events tie together a bit more. They were a little disjointed compared to what Tad was doing in 1492, but I also didn't fully care as Tad's adventure was so engaging.

Gianfelice and LaFuente have created some beautiful, at times haunting, illustrations. Characters are drawn with very sharp features, and they are exceptionally expressive. Gianfelice definitely does not shy away from showing gruesome details on the page, as characters are murdered and bleed out in panel. There is a pleasing balance of violence and beauty in this comic.

Because of the violence and bloodshed, this book would be better suited for older and readers.

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 11-Adult

Publisher: IDW
Publication Date: September 19, 2023
ISBN: 9798887240459 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: High School, Suitability: Adult, Comicbooks, History, Native American, Science Fiction, War, Historical Fiction, IDW